The award ceremony underscored the industry’s ongoing efforts to reduce e-waste. According to new data from EPA, consumer electronics have the fastest growing recycling rate of any product category in the U.S.
Following the ceremony, RIT, along with CTA, Cisco and Staples, presented the results of a new report examining material trends in consumer technology. The study, Phase I: Resource and Waste Implications of the Evolving Consumer Electronics Product Community, found that although the number of tech products sold has increased, the net material consumption has declined to levels not seen since the early 1990s. Three important trends drive this milestone in material reductions: technological shifts, the convergence of multi-functional devices and increased use of lightweight materials.
As part of the Innovation Policy Summit at CES 2017, industry and government leaders participated in a panel discussion on sustainability challenges and opportunities in the new Congress and under the Trump administration. The panelists included representatives from CTA, EPA, RIT and Samsung. They all asserted the need for industry and government to work together to most effectively reduce humanity’s environmental footprint and reach sustainability goals.
Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator of Land and Emergency Management at EPA, highlighted the need for government and industry to collaborate saying, “The producer responsibility policy has been a failed policy.” Stanislaus pointed to how the government’s attempts to mandate electronics recycling and other goals have fallen short, but expressed optimism for both sides to work together in future efforts.
Even beyond the exciting green tech and panel discussions, CES works to lessen its environmental footprint. CES 2016 reused more than one million square feet of carpet, recycled more than 33,000 square feet of magnetic banners, and gave to recyclers (melters) more than 4.8 tons of steel and 3,000 pounds of aluminum. Also, more than 5,660 square feet of vinyl banner materials were repurposed into tarps, hockey rink liners and outdoor movie screens. Once data is compiled, CTA expects similar achievements from its postshow work at CES 2017.
Learn more about the sustainability efforts and technology at CES 2017 by visiting CTA.tech/Green.
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